NT-3266

Slate: The Eleventh Hour #266, Aids and Art, Rec: 12/04/89,
Dir: Andrew Wilk

Blank

The Eleventh Hour graphic and show opener

Host Lipsyte talking about the topic of tonight's program, the Aids pandemic, giving the grim statistics. He welcomes viewers to the Eleventh Hour and introduces himself.

Host Lipsyte announces tonight's guest and introduces the musical group, Sons and Daughters.

Performance ends, Host Lipsyte joins the group in the studio, and standing amongst them, talks about the importance of spreading the word about AIDS awareness to everyone. He talks about how the arts community has recently made a big effort to raise the national consciousness and remind the government who they think should be leading the fight.

Two other newspaper clippings overlay the Mapplethorpe article - George Whitmore, 42, an Author Who Wrote on the Impact of Aids; Cookie Mueller Dead: Actress and Writer, 40.

Another news clipping overlay the Arnie Zane - "Youri Egorov, 33, a Soviet Pianist Who Defected to Further His Art and another - "Charles Ludlan, 44, Founder of Ridiculous Theatrical Co."

Phyllis Kind from Phyllis Kind Gallery talking with unseen unknown interviewer about how the art world has been profoundly influenced by "this horrific plague" (Aids) and cannot be minimized -..." and the plague isn't only in the art world its everywhere"

Young people sitting on the floor in art gallery, legs crossed wearing large white bandanas covering their eyes (this and the following is part of the Arts Aids Awareness campaign)

Young girl, red hair, white T-shirt with black shirt underneath, eyes covered with large white bandana sitting facing camera. Thomas Sokolowski narrating.

Silhouette of three people carrying a large rolled up black tarp, up the stairs.

Same folks carrying a large black tarp, outdoors in a dry grassy area by the water, appear to be unwrapping the tarp.

Thomas Krens, Director Gugfgenheim Museum speaking with unseen unknown interviewer about the gathering of awareness by the Arts community is forcing institutions to figure out what their role is and what the impact of Aids can have.

Magazine or newspaper with the headline "Women Need to Know About Aids" written over the face of a young woman.

Thomas Sokolowski from the Thomas Grey Art Gallery speaking to unseen unknown interviewer.

Male, shot from behind, in white t-shirt, wearing a bandana tied around his head, and sitting cross legged on the floor in art gallery looking at art prints on the wall

Director of the Guggenheim, Thomas Kren speaking with unseen unknown interviewer about the Aids epidemic and the drain of it on our society.

Two workers in an art gallery waling up to very large painting hanging on the wall, take it and turn it around facing the wall

Wide shot exterior The Guggenheim Museum with large narrow black cloth hanging down from top of the building to the ground (in honor of Aids Art Awareness Day, 1989.

Host Lipsyte standing alone in darkened studio introduces first guest on the show, Dr Matilda Krim - Cancer Research Scientist at Sloan Kettering for 25 years and an early advocate of Interferon as a cancer fighter.

INSERT INTERVIEW WITH DR. KRIM

Robert Lipsyte:
been talking about this as a critical time in the history of AIDS Do you feel that's true?

Dr Mathilde Krim 9:30
It is a critical time because it's time to realize what is happening to the world with AIDS. And it's critical because we're at a kind of crossroads, we have still choices before us. We can either take action, you know, support research, Institute public education intensive, a consistent and, and devote the resources needed to doing this work. And then we can hope to contain the epidemic and also start controlling it because we are developing drugs that are suppressive of the virus that could conceivably also prevent or treat some of the opportunistic infections that kill people. Or we can continue to regard to do business as usual, to regard this as another disease, like all the others, and not respond the way we ought to, and then risk really to end up with a catastrophe of unprecedented dimensions

Robert Lipsyte 9:57
And that's was the shadow over the 90s

Dr Mathilde Krim 9:58
absolutely Well, the shadow is here already, and the 90s are certainly going to be much worse than the 80s. We know already on the basis of the number of infected people, and knowing that all of them are, at some point going to become ill, you know, we know that in the 90s, we're going to have 10 times more cases of AIDS than in the 80s. And that's for sure. Or just projecting on the past experience with the rate at which the create the cases of AIDS increase in numbers, the number of cases doubles, each 18 months in this country. And in other countries, that was even faster.

Robert Lipsyte 11:14
The implication of having a choice is that you're you're hopeful that something really can be done?

Dr Mathilde Krim 11:22
Yes, because research has been very productive of results. Considering that rational research has started only five years ago, you know, from the we could start it from the moment we knew the cause of this disease, we knew the enemy and could start studying it, and developing drugs specifically against it, and also start developing preparations that could be useful as a vaccine eventually,

Robert Lipsyte 11:47
at this point where you can do nothing or do something. Where are we? I mean, what do we really know now? And what what can science do right now

Dr Mathilde Krim 11:56
we know the cause, which is very important, and it's a single cause, which makes it this a problem that from the scientific standpoint is easier to solve than cancer, which is a variety of diseases with a complex causes. With molecular biology and the fruits of the biological revolution over the last 20 years, we can study this virus in more detail we have done so already, we know it better than most other viruses in such detail that we can, in fact, design drugs that specifically would inhibit what we call a viral function. If it's an enzyme, a protein, a gene that is specific to this virus, so that we could inhibit the virus and not the cells it infects, very specifically, that would be the ideal treatment, we have the capability of doing this, but we're not doing it, there is only one or two perhaps drug companies that have started research of that kind of that kind of rash on that kind of rational basis. What we have now is perhaps one or two drugs that effective, not good enough, though, when cannot take them for a long time, because they induce toxicity and also the virus finds a way around them,

Robert Lipsyte 13:19
somehow you make a sound easy, you make a sound, there are really very specific things that can be done yet now that are not being

Dr Mathilde Krim 13:28
that they require not only money, resources, but organization coordination, you know, purpose for work, by a large number of people with various expertise. We have nothing like this organized

Robert Lipsyte 13:41
where's where does this start? Washington? Geneva?

Dr Mathilde Krim 13:46
Well, it there are two sides really for doing this. One is industry and industry is really starting to think about it now that the number of future cases will be so large that AIDS is become a market. The second source of this kind of leadership should be the NIH, our national research institution. But the NIH cannot do anything without means provided by Congress. And Congress cannot do anything unless the public requires it, then this is why it requires an awareness on the part of everybody of the danger and other possibilities. And we don't have this yet. Most people still deny that this is a problem. That should concern all of us

INTERVIEW CONTINUES:

Robert Lipsyte 19:29
And the same thing is going to be recapitulated and we are repeating this you can reach out very quickly and what what would you tell people to do heterosexual people, people who might not consider themselves part of the, you know, the the IV drug user or gay community and

Dr Mathilde Krim 19:43
it's very simple. It's, you say the same thing you say when for the prevention of any sexually transmitted disease, you say, be careful with whom you have sexual relations, tried to cut down on the number of partners try to know somebody well, very well before you undertake an intimate relationship, and then stick to one partner. And for a while, also practicing for sex, which is use condoms, and a lot of good sense and learn how to use condoms for a while, yes, because if a relationship is really solid, and is to last for a long time, then people should have themselves tested which can be done very simply, anonymously, discreetly, and from the non if they are really trusting, if the trust worthy, and they promise each other faithfulness, then they don't need to use precautions anymore,

Robert Lipsyte 20:36
you make a sound very simple, which which makes me wonder is it is some kind of larger meaning in the fact that we are not going ahead that we are not taking either these, you know, specific personal proportions, or those the larger proportions, you know, through government,

Dr Mathilde Krim 20:53
the larger meaning, I think the larger meaning is that it is very difficult to overcome prejudice. The idea that certain people the, for what they are or what they do are more at risk than others. The second larger reality is that it's very difficult to face danger to acknowledge it, and also that it is very difficult to change human behavior, particularly something as fundamental as sexual behavior. And it requires efforts on different levels.

Robert Lipsyte 21:32
This seems something paradoxical in in your fundraiser, sometimes we've seen opulent, and, you know, men in drag, entertaining. And yet out there social workers talk about not being able to find people who will come and touch Yeah, children and people with AIDS,

Dr Mathilde Krim 21:53
well, to start with, fundraisers show that people can touch, you know, we mix. And it's fun, and it's great. It's wonderful. I think there is something to be said about applauding the diversity in mankind, you know, makes it more interesting. The, no, we don't cultivate opulence. But the public, you know, trust certain people and among them, celebrities, people who enjoy prestige and recognition in society. And for these people, you need a certain standard of elegance and comfort. And this is why fundraisers have a certain elegance and lavishness. It's not something that is done for any other reason that then facilitating fundraising and public education and public attention.

Robert Lipsyte 22:51
Dr. krim, the worst case scenario, if you and others are not listened to what will happen in the 90s,

Dr Mathilde Krim 22:59
we will not be ready, we are going to see our hospital system, suffer from a serious breakdown at have too much strain on nurses and physicians, they cannot make bankruptcy really, we're going to see a terrible tragedy develop in the third world to you know, in certain areas of Africa, 10 15 20% of the total population is going to be sick in the next 10 years. And this is going to spread of course, also to Asia, it will be a terrible problem in Europe, perhaps a little less severe than here. Because in Europe, there is national health insurance, and right to treatments. But in this country, there will be such it will be so shocking and so painful. Because remember, we're going to lose young people and babies, not old people, as with cancer or heart disease that it's likely to affect. Really our outlook on life. Our feeling about life is going to be very, very painful. This is why we have to limit this problem to the extent we can.

Robert Lipsyte 24:13
Dr. krim Let's hope that the other road is the road that's taken. Thank you very much for being with us.

Host Lipsyte standing alone in the studio sets the backdrop for his next off-site guest, Artist, David Wojnarowicz. When Wojnarowicz raised his voice in pain and outrage about watching his lover die in an Artshow catalog, as a result the NEA threatened to withdraw funds were withdrawn.

Pan out on building reveals large black sign hanging above doors "Artists Space" - unseen the artist David Wojnarowicz narrates about the controversy.

Pan Wajnarowicz art work involving a personal narrative - with narration.

B&W photo close up still of a dark haired bearded man in bed, mouth open in pain, eyes half shut.

Bare feet resting on bedsheets

Pan out on Wajnarowicz standing reading the narrative (art work) on the wall.

Wajnarowica shot from his waist down, holding his mask and hands clenching his knees as we hear his angry voice.

Funding for the show by announcer and overlay the Eleventh Hour graphic.